Sangma led a six-member party delegation including BJP leaders to home minister in New Delhi. Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga also expressed his reservation about the bill.

“Everybody in Meghalaya is opposed to the bill. I urge your good office to reconsider the decision and find a solution for the people of Meghalaya and the Northeast,” said health minister of Meghalaya, AL Hek.

Guwahati: Chief minister of Meghalaya Conard Sangma met Union home minister Rajnath Singh and asked him to reconsider the Citizenship Amendment bill 2016 as it could prove to be a major law and order problem for his state as well as the Northeast region.

Sangma led a six-member party delegation including BJP leaders to home minister in New Delhi. Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga also expressed his reservation about the bill.

“We have expressed our concern on the bill along with all the coalition partners to the home minister,” Sangma said. “We hope that the government will reconsider. We have expressed concerns of political parties and civil societies and public in general of Northeast India. Rajnath has assured he will look into it and call meeting of Northeast chief ministers to discuss the issue.” Sangma’s National Peoples Party (NPP) is supporting BJP-led governments in Manipur and Nagaland.

“Everybody in Meghalaya is opposed to the bill. I urge your good office to reconsider the decision and find a solution for the people of Meghalaya and the Northeast,” said health minister of Meghalaya, AL Hek.

Sangma said all the chief ministers of Northeast should come together to express their concerns on the issue and stand united before the central leadership for the welfare of the entire Northeastern region.

Facing attack from opposition and civil society organisations, ruling party of Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) contended that Article 371A of the Constitution, which states “notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, no Act of Parliament in respect of…” meant that despite of what was in the Constitution, no Act of Parliament shall apply to the state of Nagaland unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides.

NDPP in a statement stated in the present context, determining whether a person was a Naga citizen, along with his or her rights and privileges, rests upon the village institutions or village councils. It said village institutions were the keepers of traditional and customary laws, practices and procedure, not the government.

NDPP said such has been the customary practices of Nagas since time immemorial, which has been further strengthened and protected by Article 371A of the Constitution of India. NDPP said the government of India gave further protection to Nagaland by bringing the state under the purview of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873 (BEFRA).